Method of and apparatus for drawing glass.



R. L. FRINK.

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR DRAWlNG GLASS. APPLICATION HLED JULY 24. 1908.

1,165,961 Patented Dec. 28, 1915.

3 SHEETs-SHEET I.

R. LI FRlNK. METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR DRAWING GLASS.

APPLICATlON FILED JULY 24. 1908.

Patented Dec. 28, 1915.

r 3 SH ET EET @MXM R. L. FRINK. 4

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR DRAWING GLASS.

APPLICATION FILED JUL 24. 1908. I I

1,165,961 Patented Dec. 28, 1915.

I 3 SHEETS-SHEET 31 .g/ I xv by n94 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT L. FRINK, or CLEVELAND, oHIo,

IMETHOD or AND APPARATUS Fort DRAWING GLAss.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Pa-tented Dec. 28, 1915.

Application filed July 24, 19 08. Serial No. 445,077. 1

7 To all 1071 am it may com-era:

Beit known that I, ROBERT L. FRINK, a citizen of the United States, resident of Cleveland, county of Cuyahoga, and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Methods of and Apparatus for Drawing Glass, of which the following is a specification, the principle of the invention being herein explained and the best mode in which I have contemplated applying that principle, so as to distinguish it from other inventions. i

In spite of the fact that attempts have 'been made over a considerable period of time to draw glass cylinders or rollers by mechanical means instead of manually, there have'been se tered even in the most recent and improved types of apparatus. These are believed to be largely attributable to the character of the operation itself, which it will be-appreciated is one of extreme delicacy, so that to replace the manipulation of a skilled workman with mechanical devices, mvolves a consideration of all the details of operation comprehended in the art of drawing glass.

No small amount of the trouble heretoforeexperienced with apparatus of the class in hand, it would seem may be ascribed to attempts in such apparatus, and the methods exemplified in their operation, to act upon or influence the bath of molten glass from v this same problem of drawing glass, a genera-l disclosure of such apparatus being made in my Patent No. 846,102, dated March t3, 1907, I have proceeded upon a difierent is drawn,

the consistency, of

9 and 10 theoryjnamely that of making the apparatus so elastic in its various, parts as to accommodate the same to the material being handled, and to the incidents of the drawing operation; The present apparatus, which relates to an improvement in that disclosed in the patent just named, is illustrative of this principle in the several details of such improvement. In addition there are other minor features of more or lessiimportance included therewith, all having inview the object of facilitating the drawing .of glass cylinders, and the production of a product of uniform and marketable character. I,

To the accomplishment of the above and related objects, said invention, then, consists of means hereinafterfully described and particularly pointed-out in the claims.

The annexed drawings and-.theifollowing description set forth in detail certain means for carrying out the invention, such disclosed means constituting, however, but one of various ways in which the principle of the invention may be used.

In said annexed drawings: Figure 1 is a front elevational view of apparatus for drawing glass cylinders embodying my several improvements; Fig. 2 is a vertical section, and a part sideelevation of such ap-z paratus; Fig. '3, is a plan tiew ,of the drawing pot, or receptacle, and the casing inclosing the same; Fig;f4is a sectional view of a portion of the air-supply mechanism forming the lower portion of the apparatus shown in Fig. 2.; Fig. 5 is a detail of such air supply mechanism; Fig. 6 is a hori 'Zontalsectional view of the-same detail on the line 6-6 Fig. 5; Fig; 7 is a yiew, partside elevation, and part section, of the drawing rolls, and appurtenant parts; Fig.8 is .a transverse sectional View of one of said rollers, the plane of the section being indicated by the line 88, Fig. 7 and Figs. illustrate a modified construction of head. v

In such drawings the glass melting furnace A, which may be of any suitable character, appears in Fig. 1, only, being'there shown in front elevation; the drawing pot, or receptacle B, with which the apparatus in hand is more particularly associated, ap-

pears however, in both the figure named, and in Figs. 2 and 3. Communication is had between the furnace and such pot through a passage 'or 'conduit A as shown, a suitable gate or i lie means being interposed in such passage, whereby the flow of molten glass may be stopped when desired. The drawing mechanism proper comprises a set'of rollers D, shown as being two in number in the case inhand, and located directly above the drawing pot B just described. The cylinder or roller being drawn is pressed between these rollers and drawn upwardly once it has been started. Rising upwardly through an opening I) in the bottom of the drawing pot or receptacle to a short distance above the contemplated level of molten glass therein, is a drawing head B around which the cylinder is drawn, and by means tion with, an air supply that is furnished through said head the diameter of such cylinder is' regulated. The general operation of the drawing mechanism,the principal parts of which have been referred to,- need not be further noted in this connection, than to state that the air thus. supplied I through the head "is discharged into the pot, the drawing drawing rolls that lower portion of the cylinderbeing drawn, from whence, it escapes around such head by distending the plastic cylinder walls a greater orless degree, as is fully described in the aforesaid-Letters Patent No; 846,102. It being with improvements in the drawing head, and air supply mechanism. connected therewith and the I the present invention is concerned,pthe details of each of these parts in their present mproved form will now be taken up in their order.

- ently,

' The drawing pot which I show, Figs-2 and 3, is of general cylindrical form, and is provided on one side with an inlet opening I) wherewith the. conduit A leading .from' the furnaoeis connected. Suitably suported in the pot justabove the inlet opening 1 in question, is a horizontal partition 1) provided with'an aperture molten glass flowing in from the conduit may-escape into the upper portion of the --pot. The support B for the drawing head, the structureof which will be taken up presextends' up through the bottom of such pot, and through the aperture in such partition,bi1t is'located ofi center with respect to such aperture, soas to leave the narrower space on the side thereto nearest the inlet opening I). ,By reason of this arrangement an unequal diversion of. the glass passing through such aperture will obviously be effected and by properly relating-the space head support B, the flow of hetter e of which taken in c'onjunc-" I) through which the which would naturally tend to rise for the most part on the nearest side of the support will be forced to take the longer path by way of the other side of such support, and in this manner a substantially uniform consistency of metal at the several points, defining the base of the cylinder being drawn,

can be secured. The transverse partition b is so secured as to be removable when occasion arises for cleaning the pot of its contents. The general method of, and another construction of pot for, thus securing a directly on the foundation or frame "work A in front of thefurnace A, I divide the same into sections, preferably two, the line of division passing through the support B of the drawing head and the conduit A for supplying the molten glass to the pot. These sections are then mounted on movable supports conveniently in the form of heavy trucks, provided with rollers b mounted on suitable rails a resting-on frame work A whereby the casing sections may be approached to,- or removed from, the drawing pot, as desired. Such pot, as well as the drawing head, being supported independ- .ently of th'efca'sing, they will be left standing in readilyaccessible condition by simply drawing to one side the casing sections in question.

The support B for the head around which the cylinder, or other hollow article is drawn,

comprises two concentric pipes Z) I), Fig. 2, e constructed of suitable material to resist the temperatures to which they are exposed when surrounded by the metal in pot B. The head B is mounted on the upper end of the aforesaid pipes, and is likewise constructed of suitable heat resisting material, such as fire-clay or the like. The form. of the head is conical or funnel-like, a-central aperture 1) therein being connected as shown with the inner of the two pipes of-th'e support. In the base of the head there is formed anan nular chamber 6 surroundingsuch central, aperture, and provided with lateral ports 6 such chamber having communication with the outermost of the two pipes. Air under pressure is designed to be supplied to the head through such outer pipe b while on the contrary suctionmeans are designed to be connected with the inner pipe I), as a result of which it will be seen that in efiect, a circulation of air is maintained, through the which means a stream of air will be drawn .downwardly through the upper portion of the cylinder, independently of the drawing operation entirely. Such stream of air may v be made of suiiicient volume to exercise a perceptible cooling effect on the upper portion of the cylinder if found desirable.

For supplying air to outer pipe b ,--and withdrawing air from the inner pipe I), suitable blower and suction mechanism is provided below the lower ends of such pipes,

being preferably mounted on a movable base (3, and detachably connected with the pipe ends, as at 0, so that in the event of the drawing pot or receptacle and its surrounding casing being taken apart for the purpose of renewal or repair, suc'h mechanism can be removed entirely from the scene of operation, and any injury thereto avoided. The air-supply mechanism comprises a supply pipe 0' a drum 0 laterally connected with said supply pipe, and a blower C having its delivery pipe 0 extending through said drum, and opening laterally into the same, Figs. 2 and 4.. Weighted escape valves 0* 0 are provided for the upper end of blower pipe 0 which extends above the drum, and for an opening a in said drum located in its side, substantially opposite the supply pipe 0'. The aperture in this supply pipe may be'regulated by means of a gate valve 0 which is shown as having a Y rectangular opening 0 coiipe rative with a similar opening 0 in a diaphragm c disposed across the plpe aperture. By reason of the form of such openings 0 c" and their relative disposition, leaving the opening rectangular in shape, whatever its size, the adjustment of the valve to provide any determinate aperture that may be desired, is read ily accomplished. Of course, any form of diaphragm or other valve, may be used to accomplish this result. A gate valve 0 is also provided in the lower delivery pipe intermediately between the blower and the drum. The suction mechanism comprises simply a suction fan C connected with the lowerendof the inner pipe. Motors C C "from the cylinder: is a matter mounted on the same base C VV-here the rate of withdrawal of the air of consequence,

suitable regulating means (not shown) will be provided in connection, with such suction -i-an, as will be readily means, however, of the apparatus connected with the blower fru 5 an. enabled to supply are conveniently used to drive the blower and suctmnfans respectively.

understood. By

a. substantially constant volume of air tothe portion of the cylinder between the draw-' mg head and thebath ofmetalin'the pot...

By thus supplying a constant volumeofair,

no regulation is required in this connection, since the volume'of the air-confined in such lower portion of the article is auto: matically regulated by the article; being drawn itself, as fully described in the patent above named. In operation just sufficient pressure 1s malntamed' 1n dehvery pipe 0 to raise the weighted valves 0 0*,yw1th the pressure in the drum thus constant the \,()l.

and aplurality of drawing heads. In such' case, however, the mechanism in question could not be conveniently supported on a movable base but would require to be permanently installed. i

The central aperture If in the drawing head 13 taken in conjunction with the funnel-shape of such head, serves an additional purpose to that of aiiording connection between the exhaust fan and cylinder, namely, any small fragments of glass or other material such as are aptto fall within the cylinder will be prevented from reaching the bath, but will instead. be gathered within such head and if small enough withdrawn by the suction entirely from the apparatus. Since the drawing pot and its inclosing casing together 'with the other parts associ inblocks d? that are adapted to be secured" in any predetermined position on other transverse ways 1 By means of'the ad justment thus rendered possible, thedraw mg rollerscan be centered'over the drawing head when the latter has been finally secured in position. In order to adapt the drawing rollers to the drawing of different sizes of cylinders, I have likewise modified their constrrurtion, although still retaining. the r former feature of a yielding periphery (Z adapted to grip the article being drawn.

This periphery, the material construction of which need not be noted, forming no part of the present disclosure, is fixedly attached to the end members 03- of the roller, such end members being in the form of disks mounted on a tubular shaft d with which the driving mechanism D is connected through a bevel gear 03 on one of said members. Rotatably mounted within such tubular shaft, is a second shaft (i having oppositely threaded portions, upon which are mounted nuts d slidably held in such tubular shaft and connected through a longitudinal slot al therein with disks d corresponding in shape and size with the end members, but movably mounted on said tubular shaft. By rotation of said threaded shaft, which may be effected from a hand wheel D and suitable intermediate gearing d", as shown, it will be obvious that the two slidably mounted disks d may be brought together or moved apart as desired, thus varying the length of the portion of the periphery of the roller that is left to flexibly engage the article being drawn.

So sensitive to changes in temperature is the roller or cylinder in its formative stage, that is before the glass has set, that the lower, more or less plastic, portion there of will be perceptibly thickened by even a slight draft of air across the pot or drawing vessel. The increased'surface tension of the bath that gives rise to this phenomenon, will at the same time have a tendency to displace the base of the cylinder, drawing the same, in other words, toward the side affected in the manner just described. To accommodate such shifting of the cylinder base, I accordingly introduce an adjustment into the drawing head whereby it may be supto one side of the pot in any ported a trifle direction. Such adjustability desired radial is conveniently attained, see Figs. 9 and 10,

i by mounting the head B will result in ultimate disaster even where observed are eccentrically with respect to its support B which has been seen to rise substantially centrally within the 0t, and at the same time having said head rotatable about such support.

The foregoing several improvements in my glass-drawing apparatus will, it is believed, add materially to the success of the process exemplified in the operation of such apparatus.

for the most part contributory to the accomplishment of the general object previously announced, that of adapting the apparatus to the metal rather than, by artificial means of one kind or another, attempting to adapt the metal to the ap Such latter method I believe will in t prove unsatisfactory by reason of the subtle characteristics of the material handled,"

strains being induced in the product-that Such improvements it will be aratus.-

e main such product appears fair in the initial stages of'its manufacture.

Other modes of applying the rinciple of my invention may be employed the one explained, change being made as regards the mechanism herein disclosed, provided the means stated by any one of the following claims or the equivalent of such stated means be employed.

instead of I therefore particularly pomt out and distinctly claim as my invention 1. The herein described improvements in positively withdrawing air therefrom.

3. In apparatus for drawing glass, a drawing pot or receptacle, a head around which the hollow glass article is drawn, and means for drawing air downwardly through the upper portion of said article.

4. In apparatus for drawing glass, a

drawing pot or receptacle, a head around which the hollow glass article is drawn, said head being of/such a size as to substantially close such article, means for supplying air to the portion 'of said article between said .head and the bath, and air suction means connected to withdraw air from said article at a point immediately above said head.

5. In apparatus for drawing glass, a"

drawing pot or receptacle, a head around which the hollow glass articleis' drawn, two, one Within the other, supporting said pipes head, and opening, the one 'into the portion of said article between said head andthe article above said head, airsupply means connected with said first pipe, and air suction means connected with the second.

6. In apparatus for drawing glass, a drawing pot head around is drawn, said head being formed with an annular chamber surrounding the. central opening therein and provided with lateral escape ports, two pipes, one within the other, supporting said head and respectively connected with the annular chamber and mm bath and theother into'the portion of said or receptacle, 9. funnel-shaped which the hollow glass. article i tral opening therein, air supply means connected with said first pipe, and air suction means connected with the second. I 7. In apparatus for dra hollow. glass articles, the combination of a: rawmg pofo r ,12'5 receptacle, a head. around which the hol above said p0t,-said head being eccentrically mounted with respect to said support and rotatable With respect to said pot. j 8. In-app'aratusfor" drawing hollow glass articles, theporhbination of 'a drawing pot or receptacle, "a head; ardund which the hol- I low glass article lsdrawmand a support for Copies of this patent may be ob tailied for five cnt s eao'h, bj addr'gssjing' th Ugmmissioner of Patents;

said head rising substantially centrally abm'e 10 said. .pot, -said- "head being 'eccntrlcally mounted with 'rspect to said s1mp0rtand rotatable about the same.

Signed.- by me, this 18th daybf July, 1908.

ROBERT L. FRINK.

. Attested by Y Y CHRISTINE E. ARNSE J1 10. F. QBERLIN. 

